Let's get buzzed! Hornets @ Wolves GDT

[Phenom]

Hoppy Easter everyone.

Ant is questionable with patellofemoral pain syndrome. Isn't this the same thing Steph Curry has missed 2 months with?

[AussieWolf3]

This will be a tough test given the state the roster. Whatever they do, please don't force the issue with injured players. Just heal up

I really really hope the NBA starts taking a look at the evidence that is staring them in the face and seriously considers shortening the season

[FNG]

Hoppy Easter everyone.

Ant is questionable with patellofemoral pain syndrome. Isn't this the same thing Steph Curry has missed 2 months with?

Yes, it is the same. Silver lining though is Ant is younger and more resilient. Let's hope it's not as serious as Steph's was.

For those who might surprised to see the Wolves 2 1/2 point underdogs to a team currently in 8th place in the East, let me provide some stats. The Hornets have gone 26-8 since January 21, better than any team in the East. Only the Spurs (29-5) have a better record than the Hornets since then. Sion James started in place of LaMelo Ball on 1/21. and Ball responded by going 1 for 15. Still, Charles Lee (who's being largely and unfairly ignored in the Coach of the Year race) put him back in the starting lineup the next game, and the Hornets went on the tear they have been on for a month and a half.

And Bell might not even be their best player. Knueppel is having a terrific rookie season, and Brandon Miller is showing he deserved being chosen second in the 2023 draft behind Wemby. The Hornets are 5th in offensive rating and 12th in defensive rating, and their 5.2 net rating ranks 6th in the Association behind the Thunder, Spurs, Celtics, Pistons and Knicks. Everyone in their starting lineup rebounds well, and only the Rockets rebound better. No team in the league makes more 3-pointers than they do, and only the Nuggets and Bucks have a better percentage.

They also come into the game hungrier in the Wolves. Our players may tell you they don't look at the standings, but they do. And they know what we know...these last 5 games mean little because they have been locked into the 6th spot for some time. Their main goal has to be to just get healthy. Charlotte on the other hand is in a dog fight in the East, and could finish anywhere from 6th through 10th. With as hot as they have been, you might think they had an inside track to leapfrog the 76ers and Raptors to finish 6th, but their remaining schedule is brutal...road games against the Celtics, Knicks and us, and a home game against Detroit. All this to say today is a must win for the Hornets.

So I don't think we are going to win this one, and if I were Finchy, neither Ant nor Naz would play today. But why might we win this one? Despite being the 2nd hottest team in the league they haven't been as impressive the past 5 games...only 3-2 with the wins against the Suns, Nets and Pacers, teams that are 7-23 in their last 10 games. But the Wolves are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and will be missing (at least) Jaden. I think the Hornets win and cover the spread tonight.

[Phenom]

Ant is out. Should we be worried about his status for the playoffs?

[FNG]

Ant is out. Should we be worried about his status for the playoffs?

Good question, but I'm not too worried. I actually thought he looked pretty mobile in the Dallas game, so I'm guessing this isn't as serious as Steph's injury. Also, it couldn't happen at a better time, as the final games of the season mean almost nothing for us, and will be followed by a first round series against the Lakers likely missing Luka and Reeves. When Ant returns, it may take him a couple games to get back in the groove, but it will be several weeks before we face the Spurs. So he (and Jaden) have plenty of time to heal up. I think sitting him today is merely precautionary. Hope I'm right.

[Q-is-here]

It is unfortunate that it appears we are literally limping into the playoffs, losing a bunch of games here in the stretch run and having key guys hurt.

That being said, it's officially a veteran playoff team at this point and never put it past this group to get their shit together at just the right time. But a first round exit is definitely a real possibility.

[FNG]

It is unfortunate that it appears we are literally limping into the playoffs, losing a bunch of games here in the stretch run and having key guys hurt.

That being said, it's officially a veteran playoff team at this point and never put it past this group to get their shit together at just the right time. But a first round exit is definitely a real possibility.

Q, maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I think the odds of losing to a team starting Ayton, LaRavia, Kennard, a banged up Smart, and a 41-year-old LeBron are 100 to 1! Kennard can shoot but is a terrible defender, and the other 4 are all in the low 30s on 3-point shooting. I think round 1 is going to be a cakewalk...um, assuming Ant can play.

[Phenom]

It is unfortunate that it appears we are literally limping into the playoffs, losing a bunch of games here in the stretch run and having key guys hurt.

That being said, it's officially a veteran playoff team at this point and never put it past this group to get their shit together at just the right time. But a first round exit is definitely a real possibility.

Q, maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I think the odds of losing to a team starting Ayton, LaRavia, Kennard, a banged up Smart, and a 41-year-old LeBron are 100 to 1! Kennard can shoot but is a terrible defender, and the other 4 are all in the low 30s on 3-point shooting. I think round 1 is going to be a cakewalk...um, assuming Ant can play.

We do need the Lakers to win a couple here down the stretch. Also will be interesting to see how the Spurs and Thunder treat their remaining game against Denver. Will the Spurs want to beat them to help hold them at 4? Will the Thunder surrender a game to help them get to third?

[FNG]

It is unfortunate that it appears we are literally limping into the playoffs, losing a bunch of games here in the stretch run and having key guys hurt.

That being said, it's officially a veteran playoff team at this point and never put it past this group to get their shit together at just the right time. But a first round exit is definitely a real possibility.

Q, maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I think the odds of losing to a team starting Ayton, LaRavia, Kennard, a banged up Smart, and a 41-year-old LeBron are 100 to 1! Kennard can shoot but is a terrible defender, and the other 4 are all in the low 30s on 3-point shooting. I think round 1 is going to be a cakewalk...um, assuming Ant can play.

We do need the Lakers to win a couple here down the stretch. Also will be interesting to see how the Spurs and Thunder treat their remaining game against Denver. Will the Spurs want to beat them to help hold them at 4? Will the Thunder surrender a game to help them get to third?

You raise some interesting questions, Phenom. Yeah, I've probably been a little too blase about assuming LA would finish 3rd...the Reeves injury on top of Luka's changes the calculus. I've already changed the Lakers' home game against OkC to a loss which reduces their gap over the Nuggets to one game in my forecast, but they will likely have to win 2 of their games against Dallas, Golden State, Phoenix and Utah to stay ahead of Denver (remember...they hold the tiebreaker). I think they easily beat Utah, so it comes down to winning one of the other three games. Old Man LeBron will have to rise to the challenge in one of those games to get them to the 3rd spot. Or if Denver loses their home game to OkC ( I have it as a win in my forecast), that would also likely result in LA staying in 3rd. Definitely no longer a surety after the Reeves injury.

[60WinTim]

Q, maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I think the odds of losing to a team starting Ayton, LaRavia, Kennard, a banged up Smart, and a 41-year-old LeBron are 100 to 1! Kennard can shoot but is a terrible defender, and the other 4 are all in the low 30s on 3-point shooting. I think round 1 is going to be a cakewalk...um, assuming Ant can play.

We do need the Lakers to win a couple here down the stretch. Also will be interesting to see how the Spurs and Thunder treat their remaining game against Denver. Will the Spurs want to beat them to help hold them at 4? Will the Thunder surrender a game to help them get to third?

You raise some interesting questions, Phenom. Yeah, I've probably been a little too blase about assuming LA would finish 3rd...the Reeves injury on top of Luka's changes the calculus. I've already changed the Lakers' home game against OkC to a loss which reduces their gap over the Nuggets to one game in my forecast, but they will likely have to win 2 of their games against Dallas, Golden State, Phoenix and Utah to stay ahead of Denver (remember...they hold the tiebreaker). I think they easily beat Utah, so it comes down to winning one of the other three games. Old Man LeBron will have to rise to the challenge in one of those games to get them to the 3rd spot. Or if Denver loses their home game to OkC ( I have it as a win in my forecast), that would also likely result in LA staying in 3rd. Definitely no longer a surety after the Reeves injury.

I think you are facing and double whammy, FNG. Not only did the Nuggets win against the Spurs move them a step closer to catch the Lakers, it may have made the end of season race between the Thunder and Spurs moot! And if the Thunder have secured the top seed before the last two games of the season, both the Spurs and Thunder will have no reason to play their top guys in their final two games. And who do the Nuggets face in their final two games? The Thunder and Spurs! So what might have been some tough games to close out the season for the Nuggets have now become cake walks. I think there is a high probability the Nuggets pass the Lakers for the #3 seed.

So, if you want the Lakers in round one, the Wolves need to catch the Rockets for the number #5 seed...